Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SOTRA
. III
entertainment, and other internal departments and external affairs', etc.
It appears from the character of administration that there was no separation of power of the executive from that of the judicial. Thus the BLS presents an account of a well organised centralized government under the lordship of the king assisted by a host of high officials and minor functionaries.
The political theory as reflected in the BUS lays a great emphasis on justice, as in theory and practice alike judicature was one of the most important aspects of governance. Federal character of Government
It is known from the Bhs that a great deal of autonomy was granted to feudal chiefs (Samantarājas)" and sub-feudatories, who enjoyed a considerable amount of freedom in their internal administrative affairs and organised a regular system of local administration, the last unit of which was the village (gāma).
Elements of federalism and local autonomy were incorporated into the system of the state organisation, but it did not embrace the whole subjects of the social rules and customs. So parallel organisations on functional ground ran side by side in the form of guilds (Negama) of merchants and bankers who were free in respect of their managerial affairs to carry on their trade and commerce and industry according to their own business rules and customs recognized by the law of the state.
The Bhs clearly reveals that the principle of function was filled together into that of kingship and habitancy. So it was the foundation of an essential component part of the machinery of social check and balance of unbriddled autocratic power. Thus the form of government which was both horizontal and vertical as found in this work, consisted of a number of local and functional bodies and intermediate organizations having somewhat undemarcated and ill-defined lines of relations with the state.
1 Ib, 11, 11, 429. Ib, 7, 9, 300, 301. 9 Bhs, 11, 11,429. 4 Ib, 11, 9, 417 5 I6, 13, 6, 491. 6 1b, 13, 6, 491. 7 16, 18, 2, 618. 8 Ib, 2, 5, 107. (The merchants of the town of Tungikā
amassed abundant wealth by banking business (Aogapaoga).